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The Magnificent Journey: Living Deep in the Kingdom
We are told, “Look out for yourself first” and “Nice guys finish last.” But following that path leaves us feeling isolated and anxious, and can even take us to a place of ruin. This is not a magnificent journey.
There is a road to life in the unshakeable kingdom of God, but it's not an easy journey.
"We cannot enter into the kingdom unless we take our cross and die to ourselves," writes author James Bryan Smith. "We often assume that this will be painful. And of course it is. But what is the alternative? I can, for example, choose to navigate my life, choose to live as I want, and aim at fulfilling all of my desires. This will result in that despair Kierkegaard wrote of, the sickness unto death. . . . The wisest choice, then, is to surrender."
In The Magnificent Journey, the author shows us the better road, the road less travelled, but the road full of riches. Along the way he introduces us to new spiritual practices that will provide the sustenance we need for the deepest, most joy-filled journey of our lives―the journey into the heart of God.
There is a road to life in the unshakeable kingdom of God, but it's not an easy journey.
"We cannot enter into the kingdom unless we take our cross and die to ourselves," writes author James Bryan Smith. "We often assume that this will be painful. And of course it is. But what is the alternative? I can, for example, choose to navigate my life, choose to live as I want, and aim at fulfilling all of my desires. This will result in that despair Kierkegaard wrote of, the sickness unto death. . . . The wisest choice, then, is to surrender."
In The Magnificent Journey, the author shows us the better road, the road less travelled, but the road full of riches. Along the way he introduces us to new spiritual practices that will provide the sustenance we need for the deepest, most joy-filled journey of our lives―the journey into the heart of God.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2018
19 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
James Bryan Smith
41 books183 followersJames Bryan Smith (M.Div., Yale University Divinity School, D.Min., Fuller Seminary) is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, KS and a writer and speaker in the area of Christian spiritual formation. He also serves as the director of the Aprentis Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University.
A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. Smith is also the author of A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven and Room of Marvels.
A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. Smith is also the author of A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven and Room of Marvels.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 14, 2019
Many classics have described the Christian life using the metaphor of a journey of faith. John Bunyan writes "Pilgrim's Progress" to show us the Christian experience from condemnation to redemption; and from redemption to unification with God. Richard Foster also uses the journey motif for his book, "Celebration of Discipline" on spiritual formation. St Teresa of Avila's "Interior Castle" also describes the life of prayer using the journey from where we are toward union with God. There are many others from famous authors such as Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, and St John of the Cross, the latter writing "The Dark Night of the Soul." This book begins with the author describing his struggle about being stuck at a particular phase of his spiritual life. He desires to seek more of God, to receive greater spiritual insights, and to deepen his knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. So he goes off to an Episcopalian monastery in the Northeast to do just that. After a period of frustration, his mentor asks him a few basic questions to help him to be relaxed before God, and to learn to receive instead of digging for spiritual gems. After all, the deep things of God are patiently received. We cannot control God. We need to let go and let God speak to us, and not allow our agendas to define how we learn spirituality. The author soon realizes that the way forward is to be like Mary who had said: "Let it be with me." This posture marks the start of a great journey called "The Magnificent Journey." This is the road less traveled. It begins by the way of surrender. It is the spiritual art of letting the Word of God speak to us instead of us mining it for spiritual information. It is experiencing the presence of Jesus through the gospels. It is about intentionally setting our minds on things above by focusing on the person of Jesus Christ. It is about listening to God and discover the art of spiritual discernment and prayer. Smith shows us the importance of cultivating the conditions of seeing God instead of using our own efforts to reach God. This requires intentional prayer and contemplation.
The second part of the book is about developing kingdom virtues of faith, hope, love, and joy. All of them are built on the actions of God. The first three are called "theological virtues." They are all dependent on the initiative of God. Faith is an extension of knowledge which should remind us that faith is a journey of knowing God. It is "trust without reservation." Worry is a sign of our lack of faith. The more we worry, the more we should pray. Distinguishing hope from wishful thinking, we learn of hope as based on the promises of God and trust in God's character. The chapter on love is particularly captivating. Smith guides us through the four loves as popularized by CS Lewis and then links them back to the greatest commandment of Christ. Gradually, we are reminded that God's love is so great that it is ok to be our own best friend without incurring the jealousy of God. For the essence of love is freedom to do what is essential. For agape love is given by God and enjoyed by all. On joy, Smith shares about his early years as a young writer, outshone by his friend John Ortberg. Through the sharing of joy and learning how to celebrate the joys of others, he writes: "Joy flows from surrender, growing in grace, interacting with the kingdom of the heavens, communicating with God, walking in faith, living with hope, and loving God, self, and others." Joy comes from inside us. He then shows us the five practices of highly joyful people. Brilliantly, he shows us that even though the greatest of the theological virtues is love, he shows us that joy is the culmination of love.
My Thoughts
The journey motif is a lasting metaphor that aptly describes the Christian life. Smith brilliantly applies this to spiritual formation and spirituality. He aims to encourage readers to grow deeper in love with God. This journey itself is magnificently good and desirable. Picking up a book by James Bryan Smith comes with a certain expectation that it will be spiritually nourishing. This book does not disappoint for three areas of spirituality.
First, the spirituality of time. Smith reminds us to slow down and to take time to read the Word for what it is, not what we want. Many of us are accustomed to quick browsing and rapid scanning of Internet pages for all kinds of information. In doing so, we let our restless souls rush through the Bible, only to realize that we have not taken time to drink fully from the water of life. Why rush when God waits? Just like it takes time for water to trickle down through the crevices of a cave, we need to let the Word of God trickle down into our hearts. God does not force His ways into our hearts. We need to open our hearts and receive Him willingly and patiently. This is the art of surrender which is a crucial initiative.
Second, the spirituality of practice. The soul training exercises are crucial to the progress of the spiritual journey. Books can wow and fascinates readers in so many different ways. For all the inspiration that comes through the pages of the book, it takes practice to allow the truths to flow through into our souls. This is done when we take a pause and to let the truths take root. I like the Scripture meditation parts which really highlight the importance of meditation and contemplation. These spiritual exercises are pretty much lost in our modern world of brief tweets and sound bites.
Finally, the spirituality of engagement. Smith writes this book for small groups and individuals. For the latter, this book should be accompanied with a blank journal, prayerful reading, completing of each week's soul training exercise, and a time of reflection. For the former, readers can in addition apply interaction exercises and mutual encouragement. People who embark on any journey must be actively engage in the traveling process. It is ok to pause at various points but we must be careful not to be distracted from the final destination. This final destination will be a pleasant surprise which Smith calls "Surprise by love." May we all catch a glimpse of that as we read this book.
James Bryan Smith is the author of The Good and Beautiful God and the Apprentice series. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University.
Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
The second part of the book is about developing kingdom virtues of faith, hope, love, and joy. All of them are built on the actions of God. The first three are called "theological virtues." They are all dependent on the initiative of God. Faith is an extension of knowledge which should remind us that faith is a journey of knowing God. It is "trust without reservation." Worry is a sign of our lack of faith. The more we worry, the more we should pray. Distinguishing hope from wishful thinking, we learn of hope as based on the promises of God and trust in God's character. The chapter on love is particularly captivating. Smith guides us through the four loves as popularized by CS Lewis and then links them back to the greatest commandment of Christ. Gradually, we are reminded that God's love is so great that it is ok to be our own best friend without incurring the jealousy of God. For the essence of love is freedom to do what is essential. For agape love is given by God and enjoyed by all. On joy, Smith shares about his early years as a young writer, outshone by his friend John Ortberg. Through the sharing of joy and learning how to celebrate the joys of others, he writes: "Joy flows from surrender, growing in grace, interacting with the kingdom of the heavens, communicating with God, walking in faith, living with hope, and loving God, self, and others." Joy comes from inside us. He then shows us the five practices of highly joyful people. Brilliantly, he shows us that even though the greatest of the theological virtues is love, he shows us that joy is the culmination of love.
My Thoughts
The journey motif is a lasting metaphor that aptly describes the Christian life. Smith brilliantly applies this to spiritual formation and spirituality. He aims to encourage readers to grow deeper in love with God. This journey itself is magnificently good and desirable. Picking up a book by James Bryan Smith comes with a certain expectation that it will be spiritually nourishing. This book does not disappoint for three areas of spirituality.
First, the spirituality of time. Smith reminds us to slow down and to take time to read the Word for what it is, not what we want. Many of us are accustomed to quick browsing and rapid scanning of Internet pages for all kinds of information. In doing so, we let our restless souls rush through the Bible, only to realize that we have not taken time to drink fully from the water of life. Why rush when God waits? Just like it takes time for water to trickle down through the crevices of a cave, we need to let the Word of God trickle down into our hearts. God does not force His ways into our hearts. We need to open our hearts and receive Him willingly and patiently. This is the art of surrender which is a crucial initiative.
Second, the spirituality of practice. The soul training exercises are crucial to the progress of the spiritual journey. Books can wow and fascinates readers in so many different ways. For all the inspiration that comes through the pages of the book, it takes practice to allow the truths to flow through into our souls. This is done when we take a pause and to let the truths take root. I like the Scripture meditation parts which really highlight the importance of meditation and contemplation. These spiritual exercises are pretty much lost in our modern world of brief tweets and sound bites.
Finally, the spirituality of engagement. Smith writes this book for small groups and individuals. For the latter, this book should be accompanied with a blank journal, prayerful reading, completing of each week's soul training exercise, and a time of reflection. For the former, readers can in addition apply interaction exercises and mutual encouragement. People who embark on any journey must be actively engage in the traveling process. It is ok to pause at various points but we must be careful not to be distracted from the final destination. This final destination will be a pleasant surprise which Smith calls "Surprise by love." May we all catch a glimpse of that as we read this book.
James Bryan Smith is the author of The Good and Beautiful God and the Apprentice series. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University.
Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
May 14, 2019
The Magnificent Journey is a great book on what it looks like to follow Jesus. In the Magnificent Story, James Bryan Smith does a great job of sharing the Gospel of Jesus in light of the whole story of the Bible and showing that it's not just about sin, it's about the life that Jesus gives us now. In the Magnificent Journey, he takes us through the next step of walking through the different parts of life in the Kingdom.
Following Jesus isn't simply about getting saved and knowing that you will get into heaven, it's about living the Christlike life now. Growing into that kind of life takes a lifetime and that is the Magnificent Journey. I've read several books about discipleship and Christian living. The Magnificent Journey is probably one of the best and easily understood books on this topic that I have read. He is able to take complex ideas and present them in a way that can be easily understood for just about anyone. Not only that, but each chapter is followed by a short reflection on the Bible related to the topic that was just discussed.
If you want to know what it looks like to follow Jesus and have live in Christ, then I highly recommend that you pick up this book.
Following Jesus isn't simply about getting saved and knowing that you will get into heaven, it's about living the Christlike life now. Growing into that kind of life takes a lifetime and that is the Magnificent Journey. I've read several books about discipleship and Christian living. The Magnificent Journey is probably one of the best and easily understood books on this topic that I have read. He is able to take complex ideas and present them in a way that can be easily understood for just about anyone. Not only that, but each chapter is followed by a short reflection on the Bible related to the topic that was just discussed.
If you want to know what it looks like to follow Jesus and have live in Christ, then I highly recommend that you pick up this book.
January 28, 2022
Smith relates how he was just going through the motions of his faith at one point. The practices and simple activities he introduces in this book are meant to help facilitate getting out of a rut and growing closer to God. The chapters are as follows: The Way of Surrender, Growing in Grace and Knowledge, Living from Above, Listening to God, Relaxing into Faith, Embracing Hope, Surprised by Love, and Discovering a Deeper Joy. Each chapter is followed by a Scripture passage and a chance to practice some activities beyond just reading the Word and praying.
My favorite chapter in this was the last one on joy and the practices suggested. I liked how simple the practices introduced are, and yet I can see them being useful for getting you out of a rut in your Christian walk. There's a group study guide with group activities in the back of the book, and at the outset the author encourages you to read this with a group so that others can encourage you in your walk and practices. I didn't always agree with everything the author said, but on the whole I liked what he had to say and I found this a helpful book to get me to think of new ways to make reading Scripture seem less routine and more a part of a conscious walk with God. I did a combination of reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook. I found the audio narrator a little dry at first, but he didn't bother me as much as the book went on. The audiobook does not contain the group activities, and having the physical book is helpful for the first chapter when a certain piece of art is mentioned.
My favorite chapter in this was the last one on joy and the practices suggested. I liked how simple the practices introduced are, and yet I can see them being useful for getting you out of a rut in your Christian walk. There's a group study guide with group activities in the back of the book, and at the outset the author encourages you to read this with a group so that others can encourage you in your walk and practices. I didn't always agree with everything the author said, but on the whole I liked what he had to say and I found this a helpful book to get me to think of new ways to make reading Scripture seem less routine and more a part of a conscious walk with God. I did a combination of reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook. I found the audio narrator a little dry at first, but he didn't bother me as much as the book went on. The audiobook does not contain the group activities, and having the physical book is helpful for the first chapter when a certain piece of art is mentioned.
January 9, 2019
“The Magnificent Journey” is intended to serve as a guide map that can help you on your journey as a pilgrim. It is written to enable you to locate pitfalls and snares as well as joys in the journey of Christian life. It seeks to help us understand what it means to live deeply rooted in the kingdom of God and to apply kingdom virtues in our lives.
So, this book is written for anyone who desires to mature and go deeper in their relationship with Christ.
The book is written in such a way that it is accessible for a broad audience. James Bryan Smith’s writing style is engaging and conversational, using fascinating stories to illustrate his points. Each chapter finishes with an invitation to read the scriptures, be quite, pray, and reflect using rich ancient spiritual practices.
Moreover, the book is super easy to follow. It is divided into two parts. The first part seeks to answer the question: how do we live deeply in the Kingdom of God? The second part helps understand Kingdom virtues and how to live them in day to day life.
This short (180 page) book can be specially helpful for those who have recently embarked on the Christian journey and who want to mature their relationship with Jesus. This book would make a good present for a new Christian.
I thank IVP press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
So, this book is written for anyone who desires to mature and go deeper in their relationship with Christ.
The book is written in such a way that it is accessible for a broad audience. James Bryan Smith’s writing style is engaging and conversational, using fascinating stories to illustrate his points. Each chapter finishes with an invitation to read the scriptures, be quite, pray, and reflect using rich ancient spiritual practices.
Moreover, the book is super easy to follow. It is divided into two parts. The first part seeks to answer the question: how do we live deeply in the Kingdom of God? The second part helps understand Kingdom virtues and how to live them in day to day life.
This short (180 page) book can be specially helpful for those who have recently embarked on the Christian journey and who want to mature their relationship with Jesus. This book would make a good present for a new Christian.
I thank IVP press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2021
Another great, practical book by this author, this time more focused on discipleship. In the school of thought of Dallas Willard, and drawing quotes from various authors, Smith provides helpful insight and practical exercises for living in relationship with God - surrendering our will, hearing from him through Scripture and prayer, and living out the fruit of the Spirit.
April 30, 2019
This book explored the Christian life as a whole. It was a nice discussion book for our church study group, although I think it was perhaps too broad a subject to offer deep engagement of the material.
March 12, 2019
Glad I read this. The author gave me things to think about when reading/listening to scripture. Also gave some practical exercises to implement that can make scripture seen/applied in daily life.
Read
February 25, 2020Review forthcoming.
September 12, 2021
I did this book on audio and I would not recommend that format for getting the most use out of it. This will be one worth buying an re-reading slowly as a part of my morning devotions.
January 24, 2019
James Bryan Smith gives us another great look at what it means to be an Apprentice of Jesus Christ. Embracing living deep in the kingdom by way of the virtues of Faith, Hope, Love and Joy gives us a guide of enjoying this journey God has given us!
December 31, 2023
A good book covering the basic practices of Jesus followers. I thing revolutionary, but good reminders.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews